Monday, April 4, 2016

BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW FALLS TODAY,
2.8 INCHES BY 1:00 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON

Snow squalls yesterday afternoon skirted the summit with
just a trace of new snowfall in additional to the 7.7 inches
that fell yesterday morning. Overnight temperatures dropped
to an unseasonably cold minimum of 21F, some 12 degrees
below today’s daily normal minimum.

Snow began again this morning by 4:54 AM EST totaling 0.4
inches by the 7:00 AM EST observation. Light snow continued
with an additional 1.5 inches by the 10:00 AM EST observation.
Light snow then transitioned with snow pellets and freezing
drizzle before transitioning back to light snow by 11:45 AM
EST.

By the 1:00 PM EST observation light snow had become moderate,
reducing visibility to 1/4 of a mile. An additional 0.9 inches
of snow had been measured by that time, creating a new storm
total so far of 2.8 inches. Today’s daily record snowfall is
3.7 inches set back in 1975.

The 24-hour corrected mean temperature for March of 40.7 deg F
ties for the eighth warmest on record. It’s been a warm start
to the year, and the first three months of 2016 were the
fourth warmest on record.

BHO Warmest March, deg F (1885-2016):

1) 43.5 in 1946
2) 43.4 in 2012
3) 42.7 in 1945
4) 42.2 in 1903
5) 41.5 in 2010
6) 41.2 in 1921
7) 40.8 in 2000
8) 40.7 in 1977
40.7 in 2016
10) 40.5 in 1973

BHO Warmest Jan-Mar, deg F (1885-2016):

1) 36.3 in 2012
2) 35.0 in 2002
3) 34.7 in 1998
4) 34.1 in 2016
5) 33.9 in 1990
6) 33.2 in 1953
7) 33.0 in 2006

PRELIMINARY STATS FOR MARCH 2016

TEMPERATURE, Deg. F
Avg. Max. 49.7 [+5.4] Avg. Min. 32.3 [+5.7] Mean      41.0 [+5.5] 24-hour corrected mean: 40.7
Max. for month: 75 on 9th
Min. for month: 16 on 3rd

HEATING DEGREE DAYS
Total heating units: 736 [-180] Total for the season: 4419 [-1065] Total for last season: 5743

PRECIPITATION, Inches
Total: 3.21 [-2.37] Greatest in 24 hrs: N/A

SNOWFALL, Inches
Total: 4.4 [-8.3] Greatest in 24 hrs: N/A

WIND, mph
Avg. uncorrected wind speed: 12.9
Avg. corrected wind speed: 13.2
Prevailing wind direction: S at 10%
Peak gust and direction: 63 S on the 31st

SUNSHINE:
Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 10386 mins. of possible 21516 or 48%
Astronomical total minutes:   10763 mins. of possible 22286 or 48%

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Light snow, overcast stratus
Temperature: 22F; Dew Point: 20F; Wind: estimated ESE at 3 kts,
Wind Speed: Light
Sea-level pressure: 30.09 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 1 and 1/3 mile, obscured by light snow
6-hr Max temp: 23F
6-hr Min temp: 21F
24-hr precip: 0.11 ins.
24-hr snowfall: 1.2 ins.
snow depth: 1 ins.
BHO SA 1155 E3 OVC 1 1/3S- 188/22/20/E12003/009/
THN FG ALQDS NEW SNW PST 24 HRS 1.2 IN WND LGT/
8/6// 4/001 51013 ASOS 60001 70015 MANUAL 70011 10023 20021

10 A.M.
Weather: Light snow pellets, light snow ended 9:06 AM,
light snow pellets began 9:52 AM EST
Temperature: 23F; Dew Point: 21F; Wind: E at 8 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.02 ins. Hg, falling, then more slowly
Visibility: 3 miles, light snow pellets, thin fog
3-hour precip: 0.06 ins.
3-hr snowfall: 1.5 ins.
BHO SA 1455 E8 OVC 3SP- 166/23/21/0808/002/ S-E06SP-B52
THN FG ALQDS NEW SNW PST 3 HRS 1.5 IN/ 8/6// 56022 ASOS 60006
MANUAL 60006

1 P.M.
Weather: Moderate snow
Temperature: 28F; Dew Point: 27F; Wind: ENE at 11G18 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.94 ins. Hg, falling, then more slowly
Visibility: 1/4 of a mile, obscured my moderate snow, thin fog
6-hr Max temp: 28F
6-hr Min temp: 22F
6-hour precip: 0.18 ins.
6-hr snowfall: 2.4 ins.
BHO SA 1755 E3 OVC 1/4S 138/28/27/0611G18/994/ THN FG ALQDS
NEW SNW PST 6 HRS 2.4 INS/ 8/6// 56028 ASOS 60016 MANUAL 60018
10028 20022

SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, APRIL 3, 2016

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..40   NORMAL…..51
MIN…..23   NORMAL…..33
MEAN….32   NORMAL…..42

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL……………………-10
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH……………………+15 [+4.8 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..33   DEPARTURE………+10
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..56   DEPARTURE………-15
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..4475   DEPARTURE…….-1080
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……5807   DIFFERENCE……-1332

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….46 W   AT  3:34 P.M.
ASOS……………………56 NW  AT  8:06 A.M.
DAVIS…………………..52 WNW AT  8:05 A.M. RMY 55
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………37 W   AT  3:53 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………35 NW  AT  8:07 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..32 NW  AT  2:00 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………..17.7 W
ASOS…………………..17.7
DAVIS………………….15.0 WNW [290 Deg.]

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.11  DEPARTURE……-0.06
ASOS…………..0.15
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….1.22  DEPARTURE……+0.71
ASOS…………..1.42
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….13.80  DEPARTURE……-0.71
ASOS………….14.43

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….1.2  DEPARTURE…….+1.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………….8.1  DEPARTURE…….+7.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………..50.6  DEPARTURE……-10.2

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/ AERO/RMY GUST
AERO: Aerovane wind recording system gust
RMY:  R.M. Young wind gust recording system
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
….: Data not yet available, records not finalized

3/1   45/30/38/+7/0.00/0.0/602/89           54 W   AERO 60 W   RMY 53
3/2   52/21/37/+6/0.41/0.0/204/30           44 WNW AERP 47 NW  RMY 42
3/3   34/16/25/-7/0.00/0.0/641/94           30 WNW AERO 36 WNW RMY N/A
3/4   30/24/27/-5/0.04/0.5/000/00           32 N   AERO 38 N   RMY 34
3/5   35/20/28/-4/0.00/0.0/536/78           31 N   AERO 36 N   RMY N/A
3/6   40/25/33/+1/0.00/0.0/593/86           21 SSE AERO 21 SSE RMY N/A
3/7   49/29/39/+6/0.00/0.0/173/25           43 SSW AERO 48 SSW RMY 45
3/8   55/35/45/+12/0.00/0.0/647/93          23 S   AERO 24 S   RMY N/A
3/9   75/38/57/+24/0.00/0.0/594/85          32 S   AERO 36 S   RMY 33
3/10  64/50/57/+24/…./0.0/000/00          31 NNW AERO 38 NNW RMY 32
3/11  56/38/47/+13/T/0.0/331/47             28 NNW AERO 36 NNW RMY 29
3/12  58/31/45/+11/0.00/0.0/650/92          30 SW  AERO 33 SW  RMY 30
3/13  63/46/55/+21/0.00/0.0/525/74          32 NW  AERO 35 NW  RMY 30
3/14  46/36/41/+6/…./T/000/00             32 E   AERO 33 E   RMY N/A
3/15  45/39/42/+7/…./0.0/000/00           36 ENE AERO 38 ENE RMY 34
3/16  48/39/44/+9/…./0.0/036/05           25 E   AERO 28 E   RMY N/A
3/17  63/40/52/+16/…./0.0/361/50          44 NW  AERO 48 NW  RMY 45
3/18  51/33/42/+6/0.01/0.0/305/42           43 WNW AERO 45 WNW RMY 43
3/19  44/25/35/-1/0.00/0.0/706/97           25 NNW AERO 28 NNW RMY 26
3/20  35/23/29/-8/…./…/387/53           25 NE  AERO 28 NE  RMY 25
3/21  41/26/34/-3/…./…/323/44           30 WNW AERO 33 WNW RMY 32
3/22  48/28/38/+1/…./…/684/93           33 W   AERO 37 W   RMY 36
3/23  62/39/51/+13/0.01/0.0/007/01          35 NE  AERO 40 NE  RMY 39
3/24  39/34/37/-1/…./0.0/015/02           31 ENE AERO 33 ENE RMY 32
3/25  55/37/46/+8/…./…/007/01           22 NNW AERO 22 NNW RMY 24
3/26  43/30/37/-2/0.00/0.0/269/36           22 N   AERO 24 N   RMY N/A
3/27  46/30/38/-1/0.00/0.0/376/50           23 SSE AERO 24 SSE RMY 22
3/28  43/35/39/+0/0.41/0.0/000/00           33 W   AERO N/A    RMY N/A
3/29  50/34/42/+2/0.00/0.0/499/66           46 WNW AERO N/A    RMY 46
3/30  58/29/44/+4/0.00/0.0/713/94           33 S   AERO N/A    RMY N/A
3/31  69/41/55/+14/0.00/0.0/579/76          63 S   AERO N/A    RMT 65

4/1   66/54/60/+19/…./0.0/…/..          39 SSW AERO N/A    RMY 43
4/2   54/40/47/+6/…./0.0/…/..           23 SSW AERO N/A    RMY N/A
4/3   40/23/32/-10/…./7.7/…/..          46 W   AERO N/A    RMY 55

4/4   low temp since midnight is 21F; normal now 33F

DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2016

3/9/16: NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 75F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 71F SET BACK IN 2000.

3/10/16: NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 50F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 42F SET AND TIED IN 1977, 2006

DAILY RECORDS FOR APRIL 2016

4/1/16: NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 54F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 51F SET IN 1948

DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):

RECORDS FOR APRIL 4
HIGH 76 IN 2010
LOW 12 IN 1954
PRECIP 1.45 IN. IN 1987
SNOWFALL 3.7 IN. IN 1975
PEAK GUST 80 MPH WNW IN 1963

RECORDS FOR APRIL 5
HIGH 81 IN 1928
LOW 15 IN 1995
PRECIP 2.15 IN. IN 1987
SNOWFALL 4.0 IN. IN 1898
PEAK GUST 76 MPH WNW IN 1963

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald